Aeroplane



A. L. McCAFFREY AND J. G. MANNING.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1919.

1 ,4 1 3,7419 Patented p 25, 1922'.

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A. L. MCCAFFNEY AND J. G. MANNING.

AEROPLANE- APPLICATION FILED JAN- 24, 1919- 1 ,41 3,?49. 7 Patented Apr.25, 1922.

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50 ORS AUBREY LEO MCCAFFREY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND JAMES G. MANNING,OF NE BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY.

V AEROPLANE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patm t d A 25 1922 Application filedJanuary 24, 1919. Serial No. 272,804.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AUBREY LEO MoCAF- FREY and JAMES G. MANNING,citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, in New York city,in the county of Bronx and State of New York, and in New Brunswick, inthe county of Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes,-of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to aeroplane flyingspeed reduction inheavier-than-air aeroplanes, its object being to provide means under thecontrol of the operator for setting up during landing movements acounter-force operative to slow down the forward travel of theaeroplane.

It is not safe during the landing movements of heavier-than-airaeroplanes to reverse the propeller or screw-carrying motor because ofthe time involved in stopping and starting the motor and the necessityof keeping the aeroplane at a flying speed during the glide to thelanding, and until the flying speed has been sufiiciently reduced tomake it safe to land.

By our invention we enable the operator at will to reverse the propellerblade wash,

thereby setting up a counter-force tending to slow down the forwardtravel of the aeroplane over and at its landing place, and to shortenthe distance of its run over the ground. It is customary for landing, todescend at a flying speed frequently at the rate of ninety miles anhour, throttling the motor at a time deemed )roper, down to idlingspeed, and finally e ecting a landing. In all such landing movements asheretofore conducted, the blade wash has been Fearwards as in flightduring the forward travel of the aeroplane.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and illustrating theprinciple of this invention in the best mode now known to us of applyingthat principle,

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing a portion of an aeroplane; itspropeller-carrying motor in tractor location; and our newpropellerhlade-reversing mechanism. In this view the propeller bladesare shown in position to send the blade wash rearwards for flying.

Fig. 2 is a lan of the shifter detached, and connected with ahand-controlled lever.

Fig. 3 is a side View of the propeller-blade reversing mechanism andshows the propeller blades in flying position, as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 1s a perspective view showing the propeller-blade carrier fixedto the shaft, the carr er and shaft being detached.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the propellerblade-reversing mechanism,showing a detail of the connection of the shifter with a rackframe, andshows'the rack frame in its forward position in which the propellerblades, not shown, are in position to send the blade wash rearwards forflying. This view is partially in section at line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the propeller-blade-holding gear,detached.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the rack frame forward and theupper blade in position to send the blade wash forward.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 1 except that the propellerblades have been turned about 90 on their long axes to send the bladewash forward In that form of the invention set forth, 1 is themid-section of two integral propeller blades 2 of any proper design, ofwhich there are several; mindicating the leading and w the trailing edgeof each blade. The midsection 1 may have any suitable cross-sectionalshape and the inner lengthwise-extending space 3 of an arcuatepropellerexteriorly round and smooth bearing wall of which is indicatedby 6. Thus the propeller blades are provided at their mid-section with ablade-holding gear which is rockable in a propeller carrier comprising ahalf-round bearing 7 fixed on the end of the motor shaft 8, the bearing7 having projecting flanges 9 which match and are clamped to thecorresponding flanges 9 of a half-round supple- -mentary bearing cap 10by clamp-bolts 11;

the bearing 7 and cap 10 enclosing the body portion 6 of theblade-holding gear and the ends of bearing 7 and cap 10 having a slidingfit on the flanges 5 of such gear.- 011 the motor shaft 8, back ofbearing 7, an endwise-slidable rack-frame revoluble with the shaft ismounted and provided, parallel with the motor shaft, with a toothed rackin mesh with each gear-toothed flange 5 of the bladeholding goal. Thisframe comprises a back late 12 having on its side towards the motorframe; the two side bars 14 of each U-shaped' frame are provided withrack teeth 15, each series being in mesh with a flange-gear 5, and theends of the opposite teeth being slightly engaged by the inward side ofa bar 13. The two side bars 13 cooperate with the two rack bars 14 tohold the flanged gears 5 in working position. By moving the rack framelongitudin lly in either direction, it is obvious that t e blade-holdinggear and propeller blades will be rocked in one direction or the otheron their long axes.

The present form of such frame shifter under control of an operator inthe aeroplane which is partially indicated by A arid which is of theusual heavier-than-air type and has non-reversible or fixed planes a,comprises a ball-retaining collar 18 for confining antifriction balls 19in the annular groove 20 of the back-plate boss 12; an endwise movablerack-frame shifter frame having side rods 21 the outward bent ends ofwhich are opposite-1y secured at 22 to the ball-retaining collar 18.Each rod 21 is slidably mounted in fixed bearings 23 on the side of themotor M, and at the anti-propeller end of the motor the rods aretransversely connected one with another by the crosshead 24 at asuflioient distance from the adjacent motor end to permit the shifterframe to be reciprocated.

The shifting movement is preferably accomplished by a hand lever 25accessible to the operator, the foot of the lever being pivoted at 26 totheaeroplane structure and also being pivoted at 27 between its ends tothe crosshead of the shifter frame. A leaf spring 28 having its bottomend fixed at 29 to the aeroplane structure and its free end bearing onthe side of the hand lever farthest from the motor, serves during flyingto keep the rack frame and therewith connected parts in outwardpositions from the motor, the rackbars between their ends being then inmesh with the flange gears 5. If now by the mechanism described, thepropeller blades are rocked about 90 on their length- 1 wine axes by aforward movement of the rack-frame shifter frame, the leading andtrailing edges of the blades will be reversed from their flying positionshown in Figs. 1 and 3 in which the blade wash is rearwards, into theposition shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in which the blade wash will be"forward instead of rearwards, thus setting up a counter-force tending toslow down the speed of the aeroplane in its forward travel. The leadingedges of the propeller blades 2 and 2 in their reversed positions areindicated by 00, and their trailing edges by m, in Fig. 8. It is assumedthat the propeller, viewed from in front of it is rotating in counterclockwise direction under all circumstances.

As the aeroplane structure comprises members, not shown, for balancingthe aeroplane while the motor is turning, there is a combinat-iverelation at all such times between the aeroplane and ourpropeller-blade-rocking mechanism and the blades. The rack carrier ispreferably kept from turning on the motor shaft by a feather 30 workingin its lengthwise extending groove 30.

A feature of this invention lies in the described construction wherebythe propeller as an entirety is held at all times with-its transverseplane, that is with the plane passing transversely through its hub andintersecting the long axes of the propeller blades, perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of the aeroplane so that the reversal of the propellerblades is at all times instantly possible with said planes in suchrelation to the axis of the aeroplane and consequently With thepropeller blades in proper position relatively to the planes forretarding the landing speed by a mere reversal of the blade wash; theplanes being at all times in the main and except for warping if any, ina fixed approximately horizontal position relatively to the path offlight. In other words, the planes of our machine are non-reversible andare never tipped so as to stand vertically edgewise.

We are aware of the Bush Patent No. 1,213,585 of January 23, 1917,showing a lighter-than-air aircraft comprising a large vertical gas bagabove a pair of reversible wings or planes that form part of a heavier-.than-air structure in which the blades of the driving propeller on ahorizontal motor shaft are rockable on their long axes, but in ed atright angles to the longitudinal plane of the machine, to avoid airresistance in the direct elevation of the machine, and in the other tobe arranged in such longitudinal plane of the machine for use assustaining members in flight. The adjustment of the planes adapt theiruse for air brakes in direct flight, and for air-resisting elements toprevent a too-rapid descent. of the machine.

in said vention and recognizing that our invention.

may be embodied in other forms,

What we claim is: A

1. The combination of a heavier-than-air aeroplane having anon-reversible laterallyextending plane at each side of its fuselage; amotor and its shaft carried by the aeroplane; a bladed propeller mountedon and revoluble with the motor shaft, the blades of the propeller beingrockable on their lengthwise axes; and a mechanism under the control ofthe operator and constructed and operating to hold the rockable bladesin position to cut through the airand during normal forward flight todirect the blade Washin a direction opposed to, the direction of suchflight, and also, at the Will of the operator, to rock the blades ontheir said axes during forward flight in landing movements, and then andthereby set up a counter force operative to slow down the said travel ofthe aeroplane; the planes and blades cooperating to support theaeroplane in the air and to keep it from sinking vertically in the airwhen the blades are rotating; all cooperating to enable the operator toslow down and subject the aeroplane to a counter-opposing force of airover and at the landing place.

2. In the combination set fort in claim 1, a propeller-carrier mountedon the motor shaft, and a propeller-blade-holder rockable in thecarrier, the aforesaid mechanism under the control of the operator andconstruced and operating to hold the rockable blades in position to cutthrough the air and during normal forward flight to direct the bladeWash in a direction opposed to the direction of such flight and also atthe will of the operator to rock the blades on said axes during forwardflight in landing movements,

and then and thereby set up a counter force operative to slow down theforward travel of the aeroplane, comprising means for rocking theholder; and shifting means under the control of the operator.

3. The combination of a heavier-than-air aeroplane having nonreversibleplanes, a motor, and motor shaft provided with a propeller carrier; a'propeller-blade-holding gear rockable in the carrier; a propeller bladefixed in said gear; a rack-carrier rev oluble with and slidable on theshaft and having a rack in mesh With said gear; and

means for shifting the rack-carrier to rock.

AUBREY LEO MCOAFFREY. JAMES G. MANNING.

